Local Money: How to Make It Happen in Your Community (2)

by Peter North

The economic crisis and the bailing out of the banks by taxpayers has made us all aware of the vulnerability of our financial system. We need to think urgently about how to reclaim the power that the bankers hold. In past recessions and depressions across the world, communities have done just that – by creating their own forms of money. Local Money shows how this is possible.   This book is an inspiring guide that helps you understand what money is and how you can create money that stays in the community – building loyalty between consumers and local traders rather than losing wealth to the corporate chain stores. It explains how alternative currencies can work with local banks and credit unions to strengthen the local economy, supporting the local production of necessities such as food and energy while helping to reduce the community’s carbon emissions.   Local Money draws on the long history of local currencies, from Local Exchange Trading Schemes and ‘time banks’ to paper currencies such as BerkShares, Ithaca ‘Hours’ and German regional currencies, which circulate between local businesses as an alternative to their losing trade to the ‘big box’ retailers. The story culminates in the development of the first Transition currencies, the Totnes, Lewes, Stroud and Brixton Pounds.

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Librarian Note: There are multiple authors by this name in the Goodreads database.

See also: Sci-fi/Fantasy author Peter North

Reviews

[Nothing Toseehere · Rating 4 out of 5]

We all underestimate the value of what the close people do around us outside of anything denominated in £€$.

Someone giving us a lift, cooking dinner, helping us out with the garden work, dropping something off for us.

This book is a step in the right direction.

The moment we stop putting pound or dollar signs in front of everything we see and do, the quicker we become human again.

[Wolfgang]

The book has some good ideas, but in order for it to work it has a community of diverse and practical skill sets so that interesting transactions can take place.

[Nick Harriss · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent introduction into the world of alternative currencies. Definitely the best I have read on the subject.